Saltwater or Freshwater

[jahdisp25]

I just picked up a 29 gallon tank with nice stand, lighted hood, heater, whisper power filter, etc. all for $30 it was a bargain its all very nice.

I really like saltwater for various reasons, however I'm just not sure if that would be out of my league being new to the aquarium hobby.

My biggest concern is time I suppose, secondary to financial considerations. I work a lot, so my concern is I may not be able to keep up with the constant maintenance with saltwater. I know freshwater needs maintence too, but it seems less??

Then there is cost of fish as well, where as if a fish in a freshwater dies its not a real big loss as opposed to a salt water fish.

Also....it seems that the overall cost of setting up saltwater seems considerably higher? Since I got most of what I need, how much additional money would it cost as far as live rock and such?

So from experienced hobbyists what do you all think woudl be my best route?

Thanks for any and all input.

 

[Aquarium1]

Some people do start out with sw, but imo its best to start out with fw and work your way up in experience. Whichever you pick, don't forget to cycle your tank, and good luck

 

[roka64]

Ehh, I skipped FW and went straight to SW.
The initial cost can be high, but the monthly is probably not much more than FW.
If you already have a bunch of equipment, you probably just need a few extra things, depending on if you want corals or not.
Some freshies say it's not any more than a nice planted set up.